Improved apparatus for reducing ores



G. B. SIMPSON.

7 Apparatus for Reducing Ores. No. 57,394. Patented Aug. 21, 18.66.

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v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEO. B. SIMPSON, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

IMPROVEDAPPARATUS FOR REDUCING OREQS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 57,394, dated August 21, 1866.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEO. B. SIMPSON, of Washington, District of Columbia, have in- V(I1t6d a new Apparatus and Improved Mode of Resolving Metallic Ores; and I do hereby declare that the following is afulland exact description thereof, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, specification, and the letters of reference made thereon.

The nature of my invention consists in the following, to wit: I take a common crucible, a. of any desired dimensions, fill it,with small pieces of broken ore and a small quantity of flux, then cover it at the top and bottom I) with pieces of fire-brick, soap-stone, or other material resistant of heat, which, being nicely fitted, closes them air-tight. A tube is then inserted in each end 0 c of the crucible, one to connect with a gas-pipe, and the other having a gas-burner attached, the whole being fitted and fastened in a frame, d, of fire-brick, soapstone, or other material resistant of heat. The apparatus is then placed over a furnace and heated by burning charcoal or other fuel to any degree required. At the instant of igniting the fuel I turn a jet or current of coalgas, petroleum -gas, spirit-gas, or any other inflammable gas on the ores and flux, using the gas-burnere as an escape-pipe orsafety-valve, which will prevent explosion should steam be generated by the decomposing substances.

, In subjecting the ores to this process I use as a flux common salt, borax, saltpeter, soda, potash, or any other known salt or alkali, either dry or in solution.

A period of a few hours is sufficient to resolve the most obdurate ores, and in many instances a few minutes will suffice.

This process is so simple that almost any child may conduct its operations, determine the character of the metal in the ore treated, and, with a little experience, the amount of metal per ton of ore.

In this crude apparatus I do not assume perfection of form, or even the most simple and convenient form; in fact, iron and other metals may be used to much greater advantage, as, upon actual experiment, it is ascertained that the heat required to resolve the ores will not necessarily be sufiicient to melt the metallic pipes, tubes, or vessels. Therefore I shall resort to those materials best suited to the purpose when I come to apply it to practical mining, believing, as I most firmly do, that in subjecting the ores to heat in the absence of the oxygen of the atmosphere and in the presence of a superabuudance of carbon, under the influence of the fluxes, that therein lies the secret of their rapid and almost instantaneous solution. Therefore,

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, 1s

1. The apparatus consisting of the crucible, tube, or vessel, in combination with the tirebrick, soap-stone, or other material resistant of heat, as a covering for top and bottom, and the frame ofsimilar materials, to hold the parts together as a whole.

2. The gas-pipes with the gas-burner, in combination with the crucible, frame, and gasometer.

3. The process of resolving metallic ores in an air-tight crucible, tube, or vessel, heated externally, in combination with the common coalgas, petroleumgas, spirit-gas, or any other known inflammable gas. a

4. The use of salt, borax, saltpetensoda, potash, or any other known salt or alkali, either dry or in solution, as a flux, in combination with the crucible, metallic tube, or vessel, the frame, gas-pipes, and the gases,t'or the purposes and uses specified.

5. The process of resolving the metallic ores in the absence of the oxygen of the atmosphere and in the presence of a superabundance of carbon, by means of heat externally applied, the gases, salts, and alkalies internally applied, in combination with the galvanic or electric current, if necessary, and the apparatus substantiall y as hereinbefore described.

GEO. B. SIMPSON.

Witnesses:

J. Fas. CALLAN, M. P. CALLAN. 

